Pictures| Palestinians in Tulkarm hold vigil in support of hunger-striking prisoner in Israeli jails

Tulkarm (QNN)- Palestinians in Anabta town in Tulkarm held a vigil on Monday night in solidarity with Alaa Al-A’raj, a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails and has been on a hunger strike for 31 days.

Alaa Al-A’raj’s family and Anabta residents held a vigil yesterday in solidarity with 37-year-old Alaa who has been on a hunger strike since 7th of August 2021 in protest of his unfair administrative detention in Israeli jails without a charge or trial on 30th June 2021.

Al-A’raj’s health condition has been deteriorating as he suffers from health problems, and he lost over 30 kilograms of his weight and needs to be transferred to a hospital for necessary medical treatment.

Al-A’raj, who’s a father of a child born while he was held in the jails, had been arrested before in 2019 for two years, and he spent more than 5 years and a half inside the Israeli jails.

There are now another 5 hunger-striking prisoners in the Israeli jails, as they have also entered the hunger strike in protest of their unfair administrative detention in Israeli jails without a charge or trial.

The 5 hunger-striking prisoners are:

Kayed Fasfous, the longest hunger-striking prisoner
•Miqdad al-Kawasma
•Hisham abu Hawash
•Rayek Bisharat
•Shadi abu Akaer

Around 40 Palestinian detainees started hunger strike since the start of 2021, in protest against Israel’s detention without a charge or trial.

Administrative detention is illegal under international law, however, the occupation state uses it to repress the Palestinian people.

‘Israel’ routinely uses administrative detention and has, over the years, placed thousands of Palestinians behind bars for periods ranging from several months to several years, without charging them, without telling them what they are accused of, and without disclosing the alleged evidence to them or to their lawyers.

Thus, the hunger strike is a method of a non-violent resistance which the prisoners use to protect their lives and their fundamental rights and a response to the occupation racist policies which they face in the prisons.

The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said on Tuesday that there are 4650 Palestinian prisoners held in 23 Israeli prisons, and detention and interrogation centers, including 200 minors and 40 women.